Trolley-wheel.



No. 640,8l0. Patented Jan. 9, moo.

a. B. RAUM, .ln.

TROLLEY WHEEL.

(Application filed Oct 5, 1898. (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

e i fl 5 WITNESSES: INVENTOR R 0 T N E V N Patented Jan 9, I900 G. B.RAUM, In.

TROLLEY WHEEL. (Apphcatxon filed Oct 5 199a 2 Sheets-$heat 2.

(Nb Model.)

WITNESSES} %z W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GREEN BERRY RAUM, JR., OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TROLLEY-WH EEL.

SPEGIFICA TION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 640,810, datedJanuary 9, 1900.

Application filed October 5, 1898- To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, GREEN BERRY RAUM, J r., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley-W'heels; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to that class of devices Which are commonly knownas trolleywheels and which are carried upon a moving arm and in contactwith a wire from which the electric current passes through the wheel tothe arm.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and improved trolleyWheel of this character which will possess advantages in point ofinexpensiveness, economy, lightness, durability,convenience,effectiveness, mutual support of parts, and general efficiency and whichwill provide for substitution in the parts liable to wear, but withoutlubricating device or oil-cup, such as has heretofore been patented.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a trolley-wheelembodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View. Fig. 3is a sectional view taken on a longitudinal plane. Fig. 4 is aperspective view showing the bushing and one of the face-platesdetached.

It has been found difficult in the practical manufacture of solid-casttrolley-wheels to accurately center the bore or opening for the bushing.Therefore the wheel is not truly centered with respect to thetrolley-wire, and the trolley-wire does not bear truly and directly atthe base of the groove. My invention is designed to overcome thisobjection and disadvantage, as well as other general objections whichhave heretofore been met with in the practical manufacture and operationof trolley-wheels, by forming a trolley-wheel in separate parts securelybut detachably connected in such a manner that the substitution of theparts most liable to wear can be conveniently effected, the bushing-boreadjusted with absolute accuracy with respect to the grooved rim, thewheel rendered comparatively light Serial No. 692,760- (No model.)

by the elimination of the solid interior or middle weight of metal, andthe peripheral flanges fully braced against any tendency or liability tobreaking down or bending.

To these ends my invention consists in the improved construction andarrangement of parts, substantially as hereinafter more fully described,and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the grooved rim, which'in itsgeneral features and characteristics is similar to the body portion ofthe ordinary solid trolley-wheel. The rim A, however, in my inventionhas its outside faces cut away or concaved, as at a, so that a centralweb a is formed, in which is provided a central eye or opening a and atthe outer edge or circumference of the cut-away or concaved faces a isprovided a recess or shoulder a which extends annularly immediately'beneath the edge or apex of the pe ripheral flanges a. Thecut-away or concaved parts of the grooved rim A form a hollow middle orintermediate space in the completed Wheel, as shown at s. The centralweb a provides a firm and effective base for the bottom of the groove ofthe rim A, and the sides of the wheel are formed by circular plates ordisks B B, which close the spaces 8 and are received within the annularshoulder or recess a and have their periphery?) corresponding to andseated against said shoulder or recess, so that the face-plates form asupporting-base, preventing breaking down or bending of the peripheralflange a.

C designates the hub or bushing, which extends transversely through theWheel, the side plates B B, and the central opening a of the grooved rimA, and consists of a block having a central longitudinal cylindricalbore 0, which forms the bushing or bearing of the trolley-wheel. Thecentral portion of the member 0 is preferably exteriorly rectangular orangular, as at c, and the central opening a in the web a of the groovedrim is preferably of corresponding angular contour, whereby the groovedrim A is locked, thereby preventing independent rotary movement withrelation to the hub member 0.

In lieu of the construction just described the securing of the groovedrim member and the hub member together and against inde pendent movementmay be accomplished in any other suitable manner.

The ends .0 c of the hub member 0 pass. through corresponding openings bin the side plates, and these openings, as well as the ends 0 0 arepreferably cylindrical, as shown. To

connect the hub and side plates against independent rotary movement, theplates are preferably provided upon their inner faces with flanges orprojections 6 which receive or engage with the rectangular or angularcentral portion 0 of the hub. lt will be noted that the reducedcylindrical ends 0 form shoulders, as at c upon the hub, against whichthe side plates abut, by means of which construction the hub is firmlybraced in position between the side plates.

D designates bolts which are passed transversely through thetrolley-wheel and are accommodated in openings 0 0', respectively formedin the central web portion of the grooved rim and in the side plates,said openings being on a plane adjacent to the plane of the sides of thehub. The bolts carry a nut d, which is preferably seated against ashoulder or, provided on aflange or enlargement e, which projectslaterally at the outer side of the face-plate and surrounds thecylindrical end of the hub, whereby said nuts will be locked in positionwhen the bolts are screwed home, and are thus retained against turning.These bolts preferably have a screwhead cl and operate to secure theface-plates and the hub firmly in their relative positions in connectionwith the grooved rim or body portion A of the wheel.

' The operation and ad vantages of my invention will be readilyunderstood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains. Thevarious parts of the wheel are readily separable to enable substitutionin those parts which are subject to wear, and the grooved rim has itsperipheral flanges firmly braced and sustained by the side platesagainst breaking down or bending. The improved construction of the wheelin separate parts not only results in the secure bracing of the pointsliable to strain and damage in operation and the true'centering of thehearing, but also enables a hollow construction, by which comparativelightness is attained.

I do. not desire to be understood as restricting myself to the detailsof construction and arrangement or to the specific manner of securingthe separable parts of the wheel together and in relative position asherein shown and described, it being manifest that numerous variationsand modifications may be made in these specific details. I thereforereserve the right to all such variations and modifications as properlyfall within the scope of my invention and the terms of the followingclaims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and'desire to secure byLetters Patent- 1. An improved trolley-wheel comprising a grooved rimmember, with its outside faces ooncaved, and provided with a shoulderextending annular-1y immediately beneath the edge of the peripheralflanges, affording a smooth unbroken surface for contact with the wire,a separable hub member and separable side members joined to the hub andextending up to and fitted into the shoulder of the grooved rim member,and mounting the same in relative operative position, affording mutualsupport of parts, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In an improved trolley-wheel, the combination of the grooved rim A,having its outside faces concaved as at a, and a shoulder, a extendingannularly immediately beneath the edges of the peripheral flanges a,with the circular plates or disks, B 13, having their periphery hcorresponding to and seated against the shoulder a the hub C; the boltsD, with nuts (2, and screw-heads d, all substantially as and for thepurposes herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GREEN BERRY RAUM, JR.

Witnesses:

EDWIN LOUIS GARVIN, RALSTON FLEMMING.

